Improvement in fixed ammunition for fire-arms



G. CONOVER.

Cartridge.

Patented Feb. 23, 1864.

Inventor:

Witnesses:

".FEI'ERS, PHOTU-LITHOGRIPHER, WASHINGTON, D C

UrrED STATES PATENT GEORGE CONOVER, OF MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIXED AMMUNITION FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 41,684, dated February 23, 1864.

To all whom tt may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE OoNoVEE, of Middletown, in the county of Middlesex and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fixed Ammuniton for Fire-Arms and Ordnance; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, said drawing representin g a central longitudinal section of a fixedammunition cartridge constructed according to my invention.

My invention relates to the use, in fixed-ammunition cartridges for loading in front of the chamber or chambers of or at the muzzle of a fire-arm, of a second charge of gunpowder, for the purpose of expelling the case or shell of the cartridge through the barrel,and out at the muzzle of the fire-arm in which the cartridge is used 5 and it -consists in a novel mode of applying and igniting such second charge.

A is the shell, consisting of a cylinder of copper or other material, open at both ends. The external diameter of this shell should be slightly smaller than that of the bullet, that it may pass freely through the bore of the barrel. The .bullet C is secured in the front end of the said shell by pressing the front edge of the latter into the lead all around, or in any other suitable manner. 13 isa shorteh amber, of copper or other suitable material, made with its rear end open and with its front end closed, except that the latter end has tightly secured in its center a nipple, a, in which is-a vent. This chamber is of a size to fit tightly into the rear end of the shell A, but has its rear edge turned slightly outward, as shown at b I), to form a shoulder to abut against the rear end of the metal, fitted into the rear end of the chamber B, and secured in place by burring the rear edge of the said chamber over it or by solderin g. This disk rests against apercussion-cap,

2', which is placed on the nipple a before the said disk is put in, the nipple beingjust long enough to enable the cap to form a bearing for the said disk. The annular space e, left within the chamber around the percussioncap and nipple, contains the second charge of gunpowder, by which the expulsion of the cartridge-shell Afrom the fire-am is efi'ected. This charge is, of course, put into the chamber before the disk (I. This charge may be ignited either by a pointed hammer striking through a hole in the rear of the chamber of the firearm or by a hammer striking on a sliding pin working through an opening in the breech or rear of the chamber, the said hole or opening being opposite to the center of the disk, and therefore opposite to the percussion-cap and nipple. The blow of the hammer explodes the fulminate in the percussion-cap, the fire from which ignites the charge 0, and so expels the bullet from the shell A, and drives it through and out of the barrel of the fire-arm. A portion of the iire also passes from the vent a, and under the cap to the charge in e, and this charge, acting against the front end of the chamber B and against the disk (I, presses back the saiddisk, and holds it against the breech or rear of the chamber of the tire-arm, and drives forward the chamber B and the shell, and expels them through the barrel and out at the muzzle of the fire-arm, the shell being carried forward with the chamber B by means of the shoulder around the rear end of the latter, which abuts against the rear end of the shell. The disk 61 remains in the chamber, but, being of much smaller diameter, will drop out when the fire-arm is held muzzle down ward.

This cartridge may be used in revolvers which load in front of the cylinder, in breechloading fire-arms which load in front of the chambers, or in muzzle-loading fire-arms.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the/shell A, of the chamber B, disk [1, nipple a, and percussion cap a, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

Witnesses: GEO. OONOVER.

Tnos. J. DOUGLAS, GEo. W. REED. 

